


things that never were

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Mad Men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-21
Updated: 2008-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 01:11:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1623608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sterling-Cooper moves forward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	things that never were

**Author's Note:**

> This was a lot of fun to write - hope it suits! Title comes from a JFK quote, "We need men who can dream of things that never were."
> 
> Written for anotherdisco

 

 

He stayed in the office for a long time that night. He faced the window, but didn't look out; didn't see all the streets empty of people; wasn't reminded that everyone else was with family, their wives, their children.

*

"People are saying he's a hero now," Roger says. Paul is trying to distract everyone from the fact that he has no progress to report on any of his accounts, but people seem eager to discuss it. Don hasn't insulted any of them yet, at least. "A hero! Good Lord. Maybe they'll give him a medal."

Don laughs. So does Peggy. The two of them - laughing, chumming around, it makes Pete's teeth hurt. He wonders what Don would do if he knew what kind of girl Peggy really was.

*

Paul makes a lot of noise about sticking together, "forming an alliance" against the new British invasion. They act so smug, talking about all the changes that need to be made, it makes a man wonder if the Revolutionary War was fought at all.

"Look, I know you don't like having her here," Paul whispers. "And frankly, I don't understand what Draper sees in her at all. But he does listen to her, so could you just pretend for a little while?" 

Pete stares at Paul for a minute. "Of course. For the team."

*

He spends most of the discussion staring out the window, thinking about Trudy, how soft her hands always are. He nods emphatically when it seems important.

*

He works at his desk through lunch, mostly shifting papers. It seems important, staying busy. 

"Pete," Peggy says, startling him. He didn't even hear the door open. He ignores her. "We need to put this behind us. We need to be able to work together."

"I don't know what you're talking about. And even if I did, my work life isn't as important as my family is right now. "

"I think it would be better if we could move on," Peggy says again, like some broken record. She's even smiling a little. "I think it would be best if we pretend like nothing happened. Act professional."

"Is this funny?" Pete snaps. "A thing like this?"

"I'm sorry," Peggy says. "It's not."

"I don't see how a man could be expected to forget this."

Peggy considers him for a long moment. "Pretend...it's something you read about, in a magazine. Something that happened to other people."

"You make it sound easy."

"It's not, at first, but it becomes a habit, and then...you forget that's not the way it was, sometimes."

Pete turns and considers the view outside. "Someone else. Hell, I bet it has happened to someone else. Cosgrove, probably."

"I wouldn't know," Peggy says, widening her eyes. But she smiles a little. 

*

The alliance pays off, eventually; Pete knows Peggy fights with Don over every redundancy. Most of his colleagues are too important or too good at something - you can't just fire the Head of Television, and clients seem to like Ken. He's good with people. Paul's the obvious choice, really. His copy is always terrible.

They still throw him a going away party, of course. 

*

Everyone is gathering for happy hour one night when Peggy emerges from her office, dressed to the nines. It's nice. She looks nice. Cosgrove whistles.

"That's quite a dress, Peggy," says the British guy. Pete never remembers his name. Everyone calls him Jeeves.

"Thank you, says Peggy. She looks nervous. "I have a date tonight."

"A date!" Pete exclaims. He looks at Peggy, all dressed up for someone, some man, and something in his stomach twists.

"Try not to be too hard on him, Pegs," Cosgrove says, smirking. "Not everyone can live up to the high standard of manhood we have here."

"I'll keep that in mind. It's mostly just a favor to my mother." Peggy smoothes down her dress, fusses with her hair. She is nervous.

"Well, good luck," Pete says. "I'm sure it'll be great."

"Thank you," Peggy says again. She hesitates at Joan's desk for a moment, and leaves.

"Good luck and no joke," Cosgrove says. "He'll need it, poor bastard."

"You're an idiot, Ken," Pete says. He's never liked Ken. 

*

It's the same crowd at the bar; same guys, drinking too much; same girls, trying too hard. Pete doesn't want to think about it, think about Peggy out with some nobody from Brooklyn. It's pathetic. He doesn't want to think about it. Doesn't want to think about why it bothers him. 

*

It's 1 a.m. and Pete stares at a door. His key didn't work at first and then he remembered that he didn't go home. His apartment is always too loud. Trudy chatters.

He knocks on the door several times before he hears any movement inside. Finally the door opens. Peggy's still in her dress. She let her hair down. She looks calm.

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't like the idea of you on a date. Some guy. I don't like it."

Peggy opens her mouth, then closes it. Opens it again. "I'm sorry?"

"I sent Trudy out with Charlie, but I don't like you on a date. It's ridiculous." 

"That's just how things are," Peggy says. She still looks calm, and it's maddening. Pete didn't have a plan when he came here, but he wanted some proof that she remembered - anything. He doesn't want to go home, but she's turning to go back inside.

"Peggy, wait." He grabs her arm, a little sharply. He tries to relax his grip. Pete's not good at this, never been good at this. He tries to think of something to say, and throws out the only thing in his head. "Couldn't this just be one of those things, that happens to other people?"

She stops and looks at him with big eyes. She doesn't look so calm anymore. It's nice.

*

He stills likes the feeling of her hair in his hand. 

*

Afterwards, she'll tell him to leave; go home to his wife; they'll act normal at the office. Pete will keep the shotgun under his desk. They'll both pretend it didn't happen. One of them will be better at it. 

 


End file.
